I am a writer and an independent historian of Britain and the Caribbean. At the heart of my work is the conviction that Britain and its history cannot be understood in isolation from the Caribbean.
After 12 years working in universities in North Carolina, Western New York, Liverpool, and London, I have recently left academia. My last academic position was at Goldsmiths, University of London, where I was the founding convenor of the MA Black British History, the first taught masters' programme of its kind in the United Kingdom.
Sharing history as widely as possible and telling stories about the past and the present that explain, inspire, empower, and challenge has been an important part of my work. I've appeared on TV, radio, and podcasts, as well as a range of public events. In 2020, I was selected as a BBC Radio 3/AHRC New Generation Thinker. I also do historical consulting across a range of industries, including bespoke curriculum development for primary schools and secondary schools.
I am currently writing my first book, Entangled Lands: A Caribbean History of Britain, which will be published by Penguin/Allen Lane.
I'm a product of Hampton Roads, Virginia; Duke University (AB, 2005); and Princeton University (MA, 2007; PhD, 2012). From 2019-2023, I was a Lecturer in Black British History at Goldsmiths, University of London. From 2017-2019, I was a Lecturer in the History of Slavery and Unfree Labour at the University of Liverpool. From 2013-2017, I was an assistant professor of history at SUNY Buffalo State, an urban comprehensive college in Western New York.
I live in Liverpool.
Contact
I am represented by Matthew Marland at RCW Literary Agency. Please send books and writing requests to him directly. For all other matters, including freelance consulting inquiries, please email me at christienna [at] cdfryar [dot] com.